B-52Ds, B-52Fs, and B-52Gs flew combat missions in South East Asia. B-52Ds and B-52Gs flew the Linebacker II missions into Route Pack Five and Six, December 1972.

This document was done to clear up some confusion as to the names of crewmembers of ten B52s lost over North Vietnam and fifteen B52s lost in other locations. I have not had the opportunity to read other excellent source books, Linebacker II: A View From the Rock by McCarthy. The internet address to read this book on line is:

Linebacker -The Untold Story of the Air Raids Over North Vietnam by Karl J. Eschmann. 11 Days of Christmas by Marshall L. Mitchel, III, published 2002, B-52s Over Hanoi by James McCarthy, and Boeing’s Cold War Warrior: B-52 Stratofortress by Dorr & Peacock, published 1995. Another great reference is Boeing B-52 by Walter Boyne, published in 1981, updated in 1994. Additional Linebacker books are listed on Amazon.com. This document should supplement these and future publications. This document uses the “official” shoot down dates as recorded by the U.S. Defense Department. For example, Cobalt 1 was shot down over Hanoi at 0003 local time on 12-28-72. Other researchers fix the shoot down date as 12-27-72, the date the a/c took off from its home base. (A flight could take eight hours just getting to the target). I will use 12-28-72, the official Department of Defense date. Ranks shown are the ranks at the time of shoot down.

A total of 10 B-52s went down inside the borders of North Vietnam. 61 total crewmembers. 33 survivors became POWs and were released at the end of the war. 28 of the downed 61 warriors perished. (Information is listed above).

Fifteen other B52s went down outside of North Vietnam. Eight were due to combat. Seven were “operational losses,” which occurred while B52s were enroute to combat areas in Vietnam. (Information listed below).

Ash 1 B52D 12-26-72 U-Tapao Crashed at U-Tapao. Attempted go-around with 4 engines out on same side. 4 KIA. CP, 1st Lt Bob Hymel & Gunner, TSgt Spencer Grippen were rescued. No. 56-0584. The A/C made a determination that they should bailout before the crash, but since the gunner was wounded and they felt he might not be able to physically execute the bailout, they decided as a crew to try and bring the plane in. Ironically, the only survivors of the crash were the C/P and the wounded gunner. In addition, the C/P would not have survived had he not been rescued by a crewmember from another BUFF who watched the crash, and rushed into the wreck to pull the

C/P out before the plane burned up. Lord, that we could have more men like these. September 11, 2001, Lt Col Hymel, Retired, was sitting at his desk as a Defense

Intelligence Agency analyst in the Pentagon. He was one of the thousands of Americans killed that day. (Combat loss, 5).

(Unknown) B-52D July 8, 1967 no. 56-0601 was hit over Vinh and suffered a complete hydraulic failure. The pilot elected to go into Danang rather than bail the crew out. After touchdown, the A/C was unable to stop or negotiate a go-around. They ran off the end of the runway into a mine field. All forward crewmembers perished. The Gunner, Albert Whatley survived with the help of a Marine fire truck crew. Crew was from Columbus AFB,GA. (Combat loss, . Whatley cannot remember the call sign.

(Unknown) B52D 7-28-69 Anderson, no. 56-0693 was lost on takeoff from Guam. It crashed into the sea killing all eight aboard. (Op Loss no. 2).

(Unknown) B52G 7-8-72 Anderson, no. 59-2600 was over the Philippine Sea. For unknown reasons its radome separated from the airplane. The pilot/copilot reacted incorrectly and subsequently lost all airspeed. All six crewmen successfully bailed out, but one, the RN (a LtCol) got a streamer. The other five crewmen were rescued. (No. 3)

Out of 498 BUFF sorties over Hanoi/Haiphong the loss rate was 1.7% (.017). The conservative number of SAMs fired was 884, with 24 BUFFs hit. Source: Linebacker II: A View From the Rock published by the Air War College in 1979. (Note: 2001 Boeing records list 32 B52 aircraft hit by SAMs. Other sources state that there were a total of 724 B-52 sorties flown during LB II).

A plaque below B52D, serial no. 55-083, now on display at the north gate to the United States Air Force Academy says, “from June 1965 to August 1973, B52s operating from Kadina Air Base, Okinawa; Anderson AFB, Guam; and Utapao Royal Thai Navy Air Field, Thailand flew over 126,000 combat missions in Southeast Asia.”

Bailout:

B-52 D The B-52D has upward ejection seats for the Pilot, Copilot, and Electronic Warfare Officer and downward ejection seats for the Navigator and Radar Navigator. In the B-52D the Gunner is in the tail of the aircraft. For bailout, the gunner jettisons the gun turret and “dives out” of the hole created when the gun turret was jettisoned. Bailout order was Nav, EW Officer, CP, Extra Crewmembers, RN, and P. If any topside seats failed or any extra crewmembers were on board (up to 10 crewmembers can be carried) the crewmember came down to bail out through the hole the Nav left. The RN was there to assist. The Pilot always went last. The Gunner bailed out as soon as the bailout command was given. In an uncontrolled bail out, it was every man for himself…as quickly as possible

B-52 G The B-52G has upward ejection seats for the Pilot, Copilot, Electronic Warfare Officer and Gunner, and downward ejection seats for the Navigator and Radar Navigator. In the B-52G the Gunner sits in an ejection seat next to the EW Officer. Bailout order was Nav, Gunner, EW Officer, CP, Extra Crewmembers, RN, P. If any topside seats failed or any extra crewmembers were on board (up to 10 crewmembers can be carried), the crewmember(s) came down to bail out through the hole the Nav left. The RN was there to assist. The Pilot always went last. In an uncontrolled bail out, it was every man for himself…as quickly as possible.

Ninety-four B-52s are still actively flying with the USAF. All are B-52Hs built in 1960-62. The Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran B-52s (B-52D and B-52G) have all been retired. The B-52Hs have taken their place and took part in post Desert Storm missions over Iraq (Note: one B52G, 59-2593 crashed returning from a Desert Storm Mission). 184 Combat missions were flown during Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. Currently, all B-52Hs are based at two U.S. Bases. The 2nd Bomb Wing and 917th Wing (Air Force Reserve Command) are both at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and the 5th Bomb Wing is at Minot AFB, North Dakota. The 917th Wing, 93rd BS flew a number of OEF and OEI missions (Iraq), being the only B-52 unit using the Litening Laser Pod to “self designate” LGB targets. The B-52Hs are scheduled to retire in 2040. (See amplifying note at end of this document).

During the period April 9, 1972 thru January 14, 1973, 16 other B-52s (one G-model and 15 D-models) received major battle damage (caused by SAMs), over North Vietnam. Following is a list of these sixteen B52s (aircraft recovered, no deaths or injuries reported):

Serial No. Date of damage Remarks (All damage noted was from SAMs)

D 56-0665 4-9-72 Landed at Danang and flown to U-Tapao, Thailand. 156 damaged areas. Repaired and placed back in service, according to Boeing maintenance records. Contradicting this information, the plane is “unaccounted for” according to authors Dorr & Peacock. Contradicting Dorr’s information, there is a B52D now on display at Wright-Patterson with the number 56-0665 painted on the side. If you’re confused, read the next two paragraphs.

D 56-0589 4-23-72 Landed at Danang and later flown to U-Tapao. Approximately 400 outer surface holes. 20,000 manhours. Placed back in commission 1-9-73. Currently located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, according to Boeing. Contradicting this information, authors Dorr & Peacock, in an appendix, state that 56-0589 was “ultimately disposed to ground instruction at Sheppard, Texas.”

To complicate the issue of the two notes above, Dorr & Peacock state that the aircraft now on display at Wright-Patterson is B-52B no. 53-0394. However, to the casual observer of B-52 models, the plane on display is certainly not 53-0394 (as stated by Dorr), because it has the large wingtip fuel tanks common to the B-52 “D” model, not the small ones characteristic of a B-52 “B” model. Now that you’re really confused, the sign located at the B-52 at Wright-Patterson states words to the effect, “...suffered battle damage over Vietnam, exhibiting over 400 holes...” This description matches the Boeing Maintenance records for 56-0589...yet the number 53-0665 is currently painted on the side. I’m confused...are you? We need a volunteer B-52 history buff to visit the cockpit, look on the back of the door, and find out the real number.

D 55-0116 1-14-73 Landed at Danang. Over 200 holes. Left wing section 21 needs replacing. Left drop tank numerous holes. Removed both; being salvaged 4-1-73. (According to one source there was not enough time before the cease-fire to salvage the aircraft so it was scraped).

Note: Source of aircraft data…Boeing maintenance records. Note that Boeing records show 19 aircraft were lost in combat…but that has to be in error. Nos. G 58-0216 (19 Dec 72) and G 57-6472 (20 Dec 72), shown as downed in combat, later flew in the 1980s. The correct total number of B52s lost in combat must be 17. However, eight additional B-52s were operational losses while enroute to a combat area. Total Vietnam B52 loses: 25.

Tail Gunner Note: B52-D serial no. 55-083, “Diamond Lil,” is now on display at the USAFA. The plaque at the aircraft states that that aircraft was one of two B52s to shoot down an enemy MIG during the Vietnam conflict. The date of the confirmed MiG 21 kill is recorded as December 24, 1972. Tailgunner Moore of the 307SW. A second B-52D got a confirmed kill: 56-676 got a MiG 21 kill 18 Dec 72. Tailgunner Turner of the 307SW. Present location of 56-676 unknown.